Bishop Flores had served as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of San Diego since Jan. 4, 2012.

He was born in 1948 in Corona, Calif., and after completing undergraduate studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, he received a law degree from Stanford. He practiced law in California for 10 years before entering St. John's Seminary in Camarillo in 1986, studying for the Diocese of Orange in California.

Bishop Flores was ordained a priest in 1991, and served in several parishes. In 2009, he was consecrated a bishop, and appointed auxiliary bishop of the Orange diocese.

He served there until his 2012 appointment as coadjutor bishop of San Diego, meaning he would automatically succeed Bishop Brom upon his retirement. Bishop Brom had served as San Diego's bishop since 1990.

Pope Francis made two further episcopal appointments today: Archbishop Jaime Spengler was made Archbishop of Porto Alegre, in Brazil; and Bishop Antonio Di Donna was appointed Bishop of Acerra, in Italy.